Marker for shoe uppers



Aug. 14, 1934.

C1 E. EDWARDS MARKER FOR SHOE UPPERS Filed May 27, 1933 1920622602;(/zaries fllmerlfyaards;

Patented Aug. 14, 1934 umrao STATES MARKER FOR SHOE UPPERS Charles ElmerEdwards, ManchesterfN. '11., as-

signer to Perfection Marker Company; Cam--- bridge, Mass, a corporationof Massachusetts Application May 27, 1933, seam 673,158

12 Claims. (01. 101-28) This invention relates to markers for sheetmaterial and more particularly to marking plates of the type used inapplying ornamental patterns,

designs, and the like to such articles as Vamps, quarters and shoe uppersections generally;

In order properly to position the upper on the marking plate it iscustomary to provide positioning members which are so designed as not tointerfere with the proper operation of the beam or head of the press inwhich the operation is usually carried out. this purpose are commonlyprovided with disappearing pins or stops such, for example, as are shownin the United States patents to wood worth No. 1,733,638 and Lupien No.1,689,633. Such marking plates are not only relatively expensive toconstruct, but their use is limited to the one particular style andpattern. The constantly changing styles, particularly'in women s shoes,require new or different ornamental designs or patterns and consequentlythe marking plates become obsolete after a relatively short period of.use.

in the course of a year amount to an appreciable sum and constitute asubstantial part of the manufacturing cost of such footwear.

The principal object of the present invention is to providea markingplate of the aforesaid character which is of simple construction andreliable and accurate in operation, which may be readily constructed ofinexpensive materials at a small fraction of the cost of the markingplates now used, and which possesses all of the advantageous features ofthe various types heretofore used.

Further. objects relate to the constructionof my new marking plate andwill be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of ithe following description and acompanying drawing which shows oneembodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a marking plate constructed in accordance withthe present invention, showing a shoe quarter disposed in properregistry on its face; i N

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on-the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the marking plate and shoequarter inserted in a press, the beam or head being shown in raisedposition;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the parts t an,

Marking plates answering The cost of replacing obsolete plates and thenumber of replacements necessaryin Fig.-3,:the head of the. press beingshown in contact with the quarter to be marked; and

Figs. -5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views of positioningmembers embodying a modified construction.

The embodiment chosen for illustration comprises a marking plate 10which may be of thin metal, such, for'example, as'galvanized iron, sheetsteel, or other suitable material capable of being'embossed or otherwiseprovided with markings which define the desired pattern, design, orornamentation to be. applied to a piece of sheet material, such as ashoe upper section or quarter V. As here shoWn,--the marking plateconsists of a single piece of sheet metal provided with rows of smallbosses or projections -11, struck up from the under side of the plate10, although, if desired, perforating dies or any other type of mark ingmeans, may beused, it being understood that the particular type ofmarking means on the plate 10, as well asthe design or pattern, may bevaried to produce whatever ornamental effect is desired. g Y y Inorderproperly to position the -material or quarter on the-marking plate,positioning members are provided at a plurality oi fixed points spacedfrom; the markings 11. In accordance with'the present invention, thesemembers are sufficiently resilient and are so -constructed and arrangedthat they may be depressed by being crushed or flattened down underpressure sothat their-abutting surfaces either lie substantially in theplane of the material, or do not project to any appreciable extentabovethe same when subjected to .pressures such as are used to impressor apply, the markings to the material to be markedu Inthisparticularxembodiment, the plate 10 is provided with circularopenings-14. spaced predetermined distances from the markings 11, therepreferably being three such openings in order to insure the correctpositioning of the material relative tothe markings ll. 7 Thepositioning members 12 are preferably of sponge rubber in the form ofcylindrical pegs, although I contemplate the use of anyother highcompressible material havingsufiieient elasticity to recoversubstantially its original shape after being collapsedor deformed. Thepegs 12 are of a greater cross-seetional area than they openings 14, andare wedged within the openings, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to beanchoredfirmly in fixed position. Due to the contraction oifv the centralportionof the pegs, theyassume a frusto-conical shape which providesoverhanging portions or lips 15 which overlie the margins of the quarterV and are effective to hold the same in fixed position on the markingplate 10.

The marking plate 10 may, if desired, be superposed on a supportingplate 16 of fiber board or the like material, which may be provided withsuitable openings or recesses 17 for the reception of the downwardlyprojecting ends of the pegs 12, and the assemblage may be secured in anysuitable manner to a base plate 18 which may be of any desired size orshape so as to be conveniently inserted in a press.

In using a marker constructed in accordance with the present invention,the material or quarter V to be marked is placed on the exposed surfaceof the marking plate, grain side down, with its edges in contact witheach of the members 12,,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The marking plate and positioned quarter arethen laid on the work bed of a suitable press P, as shown in Fig. 3, andthe head or beam 19, the under side of which is preferably lined with aresilient pad 20, such as rubber or felt, is then brought downwardlyupon the quarter with suflicient force or pressure to effect the desiredimpression or transfer of the design.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pegs 12 are collapsed and depressed so thattheir projecting portions and overhanging lips 15 lie substantially inthe plane of the quarter V, and thus do not interfere with the properoperation of the head 19 of the press. When the head is released, thepegs 12 immediately recover their normal shape and position, and themarked quarter may then be stripped from the plate 10. j

The use of sponge rubber pegs is particularly advantageous as thismaterial is not only relatively inexpensive, but pegs of any desiredsize and shape may be easily cut from a blank sheet of stock.Furthermore, this material possesses the property of being able to gripand hold on to the edge and marginal portions of the sheet material, andthus may be depended upon to hold the material in proper position on themarking plate. I have also found that sponge rubber pegs may besubjected to considerable pressure and distorted an indefinite number oftimes before a measurable permanent set or distortion takes place, andthat such pegs will, in most cases, outwear the markings on the markingplate.

The positioning members shown in Figs. 5 and 6 have the same generalconstruction and function as that shown in the previously describedembodiment. The member 30 shown in Fig. 5 comprises an upstandingportion 31 which is provided with an integral lip 32 arranged to overliethe margin of the quarter V to hold the same in fixed position relativeto the marking plate 10. The member 30 is of highly compressiblematerial, such as soft or sponge rubber, and is secured in fixedposition on the marking plate 10 by suitable adhesive, such as a layer33 of rubber cement.

The member 34 shown in Fig. 6 is similar in shape to the member 30, butis of laminated construction, comprising outer layers 35 and 36, each ofwhich is preferably of a relatively firm material, although somewhatresilient and compressible, such for example, as ordinary sheet rubber.The intermediate layer 37 is of highly compressible material, such assoft or sponge rubber, and has a thickness which is preferably at leastas great as the combined thickness of the outer layers 35 and 36 topermit the entire member to be depressed or flattened sufllciently sothat the upper layer 35 will not project appreciably above the uppersurface of the quarter V when subjected to pressure in the mannerpreviously explained. The upper layer 35 extends laterally beyond theupright edges of the intermediate and base layers 37 and 36,respectively, to provide an overhanging lip 38 engageable with themargins of the quarter V. The entire member may be firmly secured infixed position to the marking plate 10 by means of a layer 39 ofsuitable adhesive, as in the previously described embodiment.

It will be noted that in a marker embodying the construction shown inFig. 5 or Fig. 6, the use of an intermediate supporting plate and a baseplate is dispensed with, and that as the total thickness of the markeris greatly reduced, it is possible to insert a greater number of markersin a press at one time.

The terms marker and markings as herein used, unless otherwise limitedexpressly or by context, are intended to denote any of the instrumentsand operations for applying markings, designs or patterns to sheetmaterial, including markings by printing from a transfer sheet which iscommonly used as a guide for subsequent stitching, markings byindentation of the surface of the sheet simulating stitching orproducing other ornamental effects, perforating the sheet by punchingholes completely through it, forming imitation perforations whichsimulate true perforations but are in reality non-perforatingindentations, and embossings generally.

While I have shown and described one desirable embodiment of the presentinvention, it is to be understood that this disclosure is for thepurpose of illustration only, and that various changes in shape,proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution ofequivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means comprising upwardly projecting members disposed in fixedposition relative to the markings on said plate, the projecting portionsof said members being of an inherently resilient and highly compressibleorganic material capable of being depressed so as to lie substantiallyin the plane of the sheet material when pressure is applied thereto.

2. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means comprising upwardly projecting members having overhangingportions adapted to engage the margins of the sheet material and holdthe same in fixed position relative to the markings on said plate, saidmembers being of an inherentlyv resilient and highly compressibleorganic material capable of being depressed so that said overhangingportions lie substantially in the planeof the surface of said sheetmaterial when subjected to pressure.

3. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means comprising a plurality of gauge members secured tosaid platein spaced relation to the markings thereon, each of said members beingof an inherently resilient and highly compressible organic materialcapable of being depressed so as to lie substantially in the plane ofthe sheet material when subjected to pressure.

4. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means comprising a plurality of gauge members secured to said platein spaced relation to the markings thereon, said members being of a softinherently compressible rubber-like material having sufficientresiliency to be depressed below the surface of said sheet material whensubjected to pressure.

5. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means consisting of soft rubber members secured to said plate inspaced relation to the markings thereon.

6. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means consisting of sponge rubber pegs secured to said plate inspaced relation to the markings thereon.

7. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to the markings on said plate,said means consisting of sponge rubber pegs secured to said plate inspaced relation to the markings thereon, said pegs being offrusto-conical shape to provide overhanging portions engageable with themargins of the sheet material to hold the same in fixed positionrelative to the markings on said plate.

8. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, said platehaving openings therein spaced from the markings thereon, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to said markings, said meansconsisting of soft rubber pegs wedged in the opening in said plate.

9. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece of sheetmaterial, said marker comprising a plate having on its surface markingsdefining the design to be applied to the sheet material, said platehaving openings therein spaced from the markings thereon, and means forpositioning the sheet material relative to said markings, said meansconsisting of sponge rubber pegs wedged in said openings so as topresent portions which overhang the margins of said sheet material andhold the same in fixed position relative to the markings on said plate.

10. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece ofsheet material, said marker comprising a plate having on its surfacemarking defining the design to be applied to the sheet material, andmeans for positioning the sheet material in fixed position relative tothe markings on said plate, said means comprising a plurality of guidemembers adhesively secured to said plate in spaced relation to themarkings thereon, each of said members having an overhanging lipengageable with the margin of the sheet material, said 100 membersincluding portions consisting of an inherently resilient and highlycompressible organic material capable of being depressed so that thelips lie substantially in the plane of the sheet material when subjectedto pressure.

11. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece ofsheet material, said marker comprising a plate having on its surfacemarking defining the design to be applied to the sheet material, andmeans for positioning the sheet material 110 in fixed position relativeto the markings on said plate, said means comprising a plurality ofguide members secured to said plate in spaced relation to the markingsthereon, each of said members being shaped to provide an integraloverhanging lip 115 engageable with the margin of the sheet material,said members being composed of soft rubber capable of being depressed sothat the lips lie substantially in the plane of the sheet material whensubjected to pressure.

12. A marker for use in applying a design or the like to a piece ofsheet material, said marker comprising a plate having on its surfacemarking defining the design to be applied to the sheet material, andmeans for positioning the sheet material in fixed position relative tothe markings on said plate, said means comprising a plurality of guidemembers secured to said plate in spaced relation to the markingsthereon, each of said members having a laminated structure including alayer of highly compressible and resilient organic material, and anupper layer of relatively firm material having a projecting portionproviding an overhanging lip engageable with the margin of a

